1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a trim member and, more particularly, to a vehicle sealing or trim member where the trim member includes an improved design for eliminating or at least reducing distortion when the trim member travels around a corner.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Vehicles include various sealing, trim or molding members that provide various functions, such as sealing an opening or providing trim so as to make the vehicle more aesthetically pleasing. Typically, members of this type are extruded members made of a thermoplastic, thermoset or synthetic rubber material that forms a flexible, semi-rigid part. In many applications, these members are positioned on the vehicle such that they travel around a corner, or are angled in such a manner that their position on the vehicle is not linear. For example, fixed glass windows, such as windshields and back lights, are commonly mounted within an opening defined by a vehicle body part, such as a sheet metal panel, and a molding is positioned around the window.
Typically, the fixed glass window is positioned within the opening adjacent a vehicle body panel such that a gap or channel is formed around the perimeter of the window to provide tolerance in the relative sizing of the two parts. This channel or gap facilitates installation of the glass to the panel and accommodates differences in expansion between the glass and the body panel. However, the channel or gap is unsightly and provides a place for dirt, water, snow or the like to accumulate. A molding member will typically be mounted within the channel formed between the vehicle body panel and the vehicle windshield or back light as a continuous piece. In this position, the molding member completely travels around the four corners of the window. A closely fit, securely retained and centered molding member is difficult to achieve in practice because the glass and body panel sometimes do not provide coplanar, outwardly facing surfaces on opposite sides of the channel. Additionally, the channel will vary in width around the periphery of the glass making it more difficult to insure a good, tight fit in all places around the periphery.
Because the molding members are generally semi-rigid, thermoplastic continuous pieces, these pieces become distorted at the corners of the window as a result of bending and stretching. Specifically, an inside radius at a corner of the molding member may curl up, buckle, ripple, wrinkle, etc. because too much material is crowded at the inside of the turn. Likewise, the outside radius of the trim member may distort and "cup" as the material tries to move into a smaller turn radius. This distortion at the turn detracts from the appearance of the molding member, making it unsightly, and detracts from the overall purpose of the molding member.
What is needed is an improved design for molding members of this type that compensates for the stresses on an inside and outside radius of the molding member as it travels around a corner. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide such an improved trim member.